Buju Banton, reggae star, found guilty of cocaine charges

Jamaican reggae star
Buju Banton was found guilty of drug charges by a Florida jury on Tuesday, Feb. 22. In 2009, Banton was accused of setting up a drug deal with two other men. He was charged with several counts, including conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.

At the trial, which began on Feb. 14, Banton, 37, was found not guilty for knowingly and intentionally possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during the course of a drug-trafficking crime. With his conviction, Banton is facing up to 15 years in prison.

Banton, whose real name is
Mark Myrie, had been tried on the drug-related charges before: Last year, his first trial was declared a mistrial after the jurors failed to arrive at a unanimous decision.

Earlier this month, Banton's album "Before the Dawn" won best reggae album at the Grammys. All part of the peaks and valleys on this crazy ride we call life, we suppose.